Reds Take Washington in Series Finale Johnny Cueto Outduels Stephen Strasburg

A reporter hinted to Dusty Baker that the Reds were lucky they didn't have to face Stephen Strasburg the last two seasons.

Baker's answer,"Maybe he's the one that's lucky."

Strasburg allowed just three hits in his opening day start against the Miami Marlins over seven innings.

The Reds matched that in the first inning in the 6-3 win on Sunday.

Baker noting that last season left-handed hitters owned a .270 batting average against Strasburg, inserted left-handed hitting Xavier Paul into the lineup between Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto.

That gave the Reds four left-handed batters in the first five positions in the batting order.

It paid off.

Paul singled with one out in the first off the Washington ace.  Votto drew a walk.  Brandon Phillips reached on an infield hit to load the bases.  Jay Bruce, the fourth left-handed batter, doubled to the left centerfield gap, scoring two runs.  Todd Frazier's ground out scored Phillips with the third run.

“I just have to go in there and battle because I know it will be a tough day in the batter’s box,” said Paul before Sunday’s game. “He has a great repertoire of pitches, a really good fastball. I’ve never faced him, but I’ve watched video.”

Now he has faced him and he has had success.

“He has good stuff, no doubt about that,” Paul added. “At the end of the day he had to throw strikes and I had hit strikes. You try to treat him like any other hard-throwing right hander. You just battle him from the mental side of it, but you sure know it won’t be a walkover.”

Bruce came into the game struggling with a .208 average and a team leading 10 strikeouts.


“It’s all pitch selection for me,” said Bruce. “If I pick the right pitch I make contact. It’s a mental approach. This whole season I’ve been trying to take what they give me. A lot of times I get myself out — pretty much every time.

“As for going to left-center (against Strasburg with two strikes), my approach is always left-center,” he said. “It doesn’t always look like it, but that’s it.”

The Reds had their own ace on the mound but he couldn't hold the lead.

Ian Desmond doubled.  Danny Espinosa walked. Catcher Kurt Suzuki quickly tied the game with a home run.

Both pitchers settled in after that, posting scoreless innings until the Reds' sixth.

Derrick Robinson, pinch hitting for Cueto slashed a single to left, the first hit of his career.  Choo hit a hit-and-run single to center that sent the speedy Robinson to third.  Washington played its defense half way.  Paul hit a slow ground ball to Espinosa at secondbase and he elected to try to cut off the run.  Robinson easily beat the throw home.  The runners moved up on Votto's slow roller.  Phillips singled home the other Choo and knock Strasburg from the game.  Bruce hit an infield single off Ryan Matheus to plate Paul.

“Speed kills,” said Baker. “Speed doesn’t go into a slump. I love speed. That’s why Robinson was one of the first call-ups. He has talent.”

Robinson was thrilled with his first hit.

 “It was a great feeling to get my first hit out of the way and have it start a rally like that to win the game," Robinson said. "I was going on the ground, any ball hit on the ground I was going. Instincts kicked in as soon as I saw it.”

Sean Marshall, freshly recovered from a fatigue in his left shoulder pitched a hitless seventh. Jonathan Broxton followed suit in the eighth.  Aroldis Chapman allowed a double to Suzuki but struck out Tyler Moore and Denard Span to end the game.